Award-winning commercial developer Onyx Business Parks has announced its commitment to purchasing its latest site at Roundswell Enterprise Park. This strategic move underscores Onyx’s confidence in the North Devon business community and market condition.
Onyx Business Parks obtained planning in late 2023 for the development of 29 hybrid business units extending over 35,000 sqft. The high quality, multifunctional business units can be used by a variety of small to medium-size businesses with unit sizes ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 sft.
The scheme will generate more than 54 temporary jobs during construction and 160 full-time jobs onsite once complete. It is estimated that once complete, the gross value added is estimated to be c. £10million per annum.
Roundswell Enterprise Park is located next to the A39 between Barnstaple and Bideford, serving as a key location for business distribution and manufacturing. Its strategic placement next to the North Devon Link Road offers direct links to Junction 27 on the M5 to the south-east, and to locations along the coast via the A39 Atlantic Highway.
Onyx Business Parks’ newly appointed sales manager, Lewis Watts says: “We have been encouraged by the number of enquiries we’ve received indicating positivity in the North Devon and South West Business Market”.
In keeping with Onyx values, the scheme puts sustainability at the heart of the development installing solar PV on all units with EV chargers and meeting EPC A and BREEAM ‘Excellent’ benchmark.
Councillor Rufus Gilbert, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Recovery and Skills, says: “Onyx Business Parks is currently developing high quality business units at Skypark near Exeter and we’re looking forward to working with them again here at Roundswell to provide more of the same. Roundswell Enterprise Park is already home to the hugely successful Node Cowork enterprise centre which has demonstrated that the demand from businesses in North Devon is very much there. I’m certain that with the addition of Onyx’s business units on the site, Roundswell Enterprise Park will become a vital asset to supercharge growth of the North Devon economy.”
Units are due to be completed in 2024 and on sale from Spring 2024, providing a timely opportunity for businesses ready to grow and progress. They are ideal for a range of businesses, providing flexible layouts for occupants.
Charles Berry, managing director of Onyx Business Parks, says “We are pleased to collaborate with Devon County Council in bringing the multifunctional business unit scheme to fruition. There’s been significant interest from a diverse range of both established and emerging businesses throughout North Devon seeking best in class accommodation.”
Business units are available through JD Commercial Estate Agents in Bideford. Managing director James Doble says: “The scheme gives a rare opportunity for owner occupier businesses to purchase a unit. In Barnstaple in the last 10 years there hasn’t been a single industrial scheme where all of the units have been available to purchase and that has made purchasing a unit for your business tricky, particularly when second-hands unit are rarely on the market.
“Demand for units has never been higher but then 25 years ago units were generally occupied by small manufacturers, garages, engineers and similar whereas now they are utilised for so much more from e-commerce and gyms to tradespeople and cafes.”
• Details 01237 424053 or jd-commercial.co.uk
